Faraday Cage
by wearethewitches
Summary: Time travel is one of the only cliches that I don't like to treat as a cliche. / femHarry, Harriet Potter/Gabrielle Delacour, FOC/Fleur Delacour
1. Chapter 1

"I love you," she pressed a kiss to Fleur's jaw, resting her head in her neck as they floated in the pool, their sisters' bodies between them. Fleur mumbled something desperately in French, so fast that Elise didn't understand. "I love you, I love you so much…" she whispered, gripping Harriet tightly, before she felt her, them, all three of her most beloved ones, slip away. Then everything in her vision was a kaleidoscope, a rainbow of images slipping by too quickly for Elise to see completely.

Then she was in her bed, surrounded by thick blue blankets. Chest pained, Elise raised her hands to her eyes, holding back tears as the runes burned onto her skin. _Such is the price of magic_. And Elise knew there would be more – magic always took more than it was owed.

Eventually, when the pain petered out, Elise rolled off of her bed, silent as she avoided the creaky floorboard of her room – Vernon Dursley woke even at the slightest of noises that he wasn't specifically keyed _not_ to wake at, like his bedroom door handle clicking open, and the shower running. Deftly avoiding others, Elise was temporarily stopped as she saw Harriet in her bunk-bed over the desk, dead to the world, wrapped in a single, pale-blue sheet.

It was strange to see her young again.

Looking away, Elise continued her silent adventure to the door, thanking the Department of Mysteries workers for being so specific – in the past, Elise had only just oiled the door hinges yesterday. Opening it, Elise made her way to the bathroom, forcing back the harsh cough that would have wracked her frame.

 _Pneumonia. Never good when you have open injuries._ It was why Harriet had given her all the blankets, and left herself with the sheet.

Making her way to the bathroom, Elise locked the door carefully, being sure not to make a sound as she turned to the sink, crouching down again to carefully slide out the bottom panel beneath the cupboard. There, her garden of potions ingredients waited, in the perfect conditions to thrive. More were outside, hidden in nooks and crannies where the sun and moon could touch them, but these – these lived in darkness, and in moist places.

Picking out the few she needed, Elise hid them again, before taking her ever-present potions knives-collection from her thigh holster. In her nightgown, they were easy to reach, though her sweat-slicked hands caused her to nearly drop one before she even started to use them.

 _Concentrate_ , the witch told herself, before starting the process. She'd need a few things from outside, but they could wait till later…relatively later, at least. Cutting and chopping and dicing and juicing, Elise prepared her ingredients, before plugging the sink and running the hot tap, adding the ingredients all together, using a silver knife to swirl them until they had dissolved, the water caused them to lump and congeal into a jelly-like paste. Quickly grabbing it before it could touch the sides of the sink, Elise drained the bowl, before clearing up, ignoring the acids that reacted to her skin.

Soon though, she could leave the bathroom, and she did, going back to her bedroom, placing the gel in a the side of a handy cauldron that she'd yet to dispose of, the innards rusted and just what she needed. Once it was steady, Elise turned to Harriet's bunk-bed, climbing up the ladder and brushing a curl behind her ear, feeling exhausted.

"Sweetie, Harry-baby…" Harriet mumbled something intelligible, causing Elise to smile slightly, before she kissed the side of her head, causing Harriet to wriggle as her breath got in her ear. "Harriet…"

"Don't call me Harriet," the young witch grumbled, cracking her eyes open. "What do you want, Li?"

"I need you to pack a bag, okay – like our emergency bag, when you were little." Harriet blinked in confusion, before sitting up, the springs of her bed creaking. Immediately Vernon's snores stopped, and Elise went over to her bed, getting in as Vernon's heavy steps were heard as he came to check on them, pausing for some reason. Elise made sure not to cover herself up too severely, not wanting to fall asleep just yet – though her sickness, and the warmth of her covers called to her.

Their door opened.

"Next time you go to the bathroom, turn the bloody light off, girl," he muttered angrily, banging her bunk-bed, causing it to shake. Harriet let out a muffled, scared yelp, and Elise had to squeeze her eyes shut in anger at her uncle.

Pseudo-uncle.

"Serves you right," Vernon muttered vindictively, glancing over at Elise. "You'd better be healthier in the morning, girl." Elise hid her grimace, knowing she would be, but not liking the implications behind his words. He left, and once he was snoring again both girls waited a minute or two before moving.

Harriet came down from the bunkbed, while Elise stood on her bed, opening the window and climbing out, thankful for once that they lived in the former guest-bedroom now, rather than the spare room with it's view directly onto the road. Climbing down the trellis, Elise paused a few times on the way down to harvest a potion ingredient that had bloomed in the night before finally getting to ground zero. Once on the damp soil, the roses bending out of the way for their mistress so she could reach the grass, Elise made her way across the green, eyes on her planters hanging from the corners of the garden shed, runes hiding them from non-magical sight.

As she picked the right herbs, Harriet joined her, shivering in the night. "Elise?"

"Yes, baby?" Elise glanced at her, before kissing the side of the planter, going back to number four, the roses once more moving. Harriet followed her like a lost puppy, fidgeting, the roses brushing across her skin in that dangerous manner that said _we know you are not Her but you are safe from us_. Elise wondered if her movements were because of the extra amount of magic flowing into her soul, or just Harriet.

"Why did I need to get a bag?"

"We'll need it in a few days," Elise revealed, before beginning to climb the trellis, snapping off a long, blue rose from it as she did – no need for Petunia to discover that magic was slowly taking a hold of her garden. Tucking it behind her ear, eyes narrow in tiredness as she hauled herself up, Elise got back to their window before looking back down at Harriet – who, it seemed, had decided to go right behind her rather than wait until she told her to come up. "Harry…" _This isn't like her_. A smile tried to form on her face, but Elise stopped it, helping her baby sister inside.

"But why?"

"We just will, trust me," the older witch directed Harriet to stay on Elise's bed under the window, reaching over and down to the rusted cauldron, tugging it over slowly, being careful not to make any sounds. "Where's my cauldron?"

"Here," Harriet whispered, leaning over to the end of her bed and hefting the thing up into Elise's waiting arms. "What are you-" Harriet cut herself off, hand whipping over to pull down the drooping collar of her nightgown, other pulling her dark hair out of the way. "Elise, what happened? What did you do?"

"Don't worry, little bird, this will help," Elise lifted up the acidic, gelatinous mass from before, depositing it in the cauldron before adding one of the herbs she had picked. Immediately the mass hissed and bubbled and popped – and due to the wards engraved in the rim of the cauldron, Vernon thankfully didn't awaken. Harriet watched her sister work, silent as Elise created something new.

"What will it do?" Harriet questioned sleepily once she was finished in the small hours of the morning, having stayed up to assist her. Elise answered by tugging off her nightgown, leaving herself in boy-shorts and a sports bra, the enflamed sigils on her skin red and to the bone. "Elise?"

Elise dipped her hand into the now-watery mixture, which upon being lifted from its batch, became a tiny amount more solid. Elise slowly rubbed it into a sigil, watching carefully as it steamed upon contact, becoming rock-hard. "Painless…" she muttered, before glancing at Harriet. "Help me get the ones I can't see properly."

"Are they on your chest-chest, too?" Harriet's nose wrinkled after she whispered the query. Elise's lip twitched.

"I'll worry about that. You'll be asleep when I do those." Her nose wrinkled further, as expected. Even at fourteen, Harriet had been a bit squeamish. Elise, however, at seventeen, was more mature – both mentally and physically.

With the 'time travel' bit though, maybe saying she was more mature mentally was an understatement.

Together, they slathered on the substance to her skin, covering all the bits they could reach without taking the rest of her clothes off. When she finished, Harriet went back to bed, with a kiss on the forehead, and once she was asleep, Elise continued until her entire torso was basically covered.

Pulling on her nightgown again dislodged the blue rose, causing it to fall down, scratching across the solid paste. It melted slightly on contact with the magic-grown flower, revealing **Algiz** , the skin it laid upon a mottle purple, slowly going blue with death. Elise grimaced, before removing the rose and applying a secondary layer of the mixture over the broken line. _The price of experimental magic. Fair is foul and foul is fair_. She'd have to wait until the morning to see the full effects.

Fleur would be going through the same thing she was.

Swaying slightly, thoughts of Fleur ran through her mind. Memories of soft skin and laughter and a beautiful face becoming harrowing and birdlike in anger… _she isn't like me. She won't be able to hide this from her parents_. And Gabrielle – Gabrielle would change too, just like Harriet would. Elise and Fleur's dead little sisters, brought back to life in a way Elise barely knew how to control.

 _We can't control this_ , Fleur had said. _We can only hope._

Placing the blue rose on her bedside table, Elise burrowed into her covers, ignoring her stinging eyes in favour of succumbing to sleep. The next morning, Elise would be quiet as a mouse, brushing the blue rose over the hardened paste, causing it to dissolve into nothingness, revealing deep dents in her skin. They were closed over, but they would be horrifying to anyone who saw them.

"Get ready and come down and cook breakfast for Vernon and Dudley!" Petunia rapped sharply on their door at half six in the morning, an hour after sunrise. Harriet woke immediately, sitting up in her bed and banging her head. Elise didn't take pity on her – Elise had wanted the bunkbed, it was Harriet's own fault for hitting her head every morning. _I could probably cast a cushioning charm_ , Elise mused, _if I had my wand, that is_. Vernon had taken it at the start of summer, after learning that at seventeen she was allowed to use it outside of school legally.

"Ugh…are you having a shower, Li?" Harriet muttered, practically falling down off the bunkbed. Elise, feeling slightly slimy from the paste, nodded. "'Kay – I get tomorrow." Harriet changed from her pyjamas into the waiting, folded set of clothes that used to be Elise's – though Harriet had always been a string-bean, compared to Elise's more average figure, so the dungarees that should have been full-length were still deciding on whether they were too short or three-quarter length. Having seen her sister in the future, Elise knew she'd grow up to be taller. She should be envious, really, but Elise _did_ like being the short one, when it came down to it.

"We'll be getting you some new clothes, when we leave," Elise said, causing Harriet to pause as she buttoned them together behind her neck, over her grey tank-top. "Though you do rock those dungarees pretty well.

Harriet flashed her a sleepy smile, "Thank-you. Do my hair before you shower? Aunt Petunia'll have my _neck_ …"

"Sure, get over here, babe," Elise shuffled, grabbing some hairbands from around her bedpost and leaning out of the window to snag a little green vine of pretty little bud-flowers that Petunia hated seeing on the trellis. Harriet came over, dropping down in front of her, grabbing a pair of pop-socks to pull on while Elise deftly plaited a crown around her head, including the flowering vine as she did, weaving it in and out like it was just another part of her hair. "There."

"Thanks," Harriet grabbed her trainers, tugging them on and lacing them up just as Petunia called for them. "I can get you fifteen minutes, max."

"Fine, go," Elise hurried her out, shutting the door behind her.

Ten minutes later, she came downstairs, immediately swooping in to save the eggs that Harriet always had trouble with. "Do _my_ hair now – here." She handed her sister a hair-band, who rolled her eyes before combing it through with her fingers before parting it correctly, starting on her own plait-crown. Petunia huffed at their arrangement but didn't say anything, even when Harriet started adding little pins with tiny blue and bronze ravens into the strands.

"Are you making me be prideful today, Harry?" Elise questioned as she felt them go in. Harriet grinned, before Vernon came in, grumbling, wiping the smile off of her face.

"Where's my bacon?"

"Just coming, Uncle Vernon," Elise replied smoothly, serving up three plates and motioning for Harriet to grab them as she finished tying her hair. When Harriet had set the dishes down, she started up two strips each for them both, wordlessly motioning for Harriet to make them toast, before Elise got an egg each going.

Vernon looked over at the smell, "What are you doing with my ruddy bacon, girl?" In response, Elise tucked a five pound bill in the clear glass jar between them.

"I do have a summer job, you know." And she did, except it was in Diagon Alley, not the muggle world, and that fiver had been nicked from Dudley's wallet. _I think I'll have to quit though, with the stunt I'm about to pull_. Elise made a note to speak to Florean before she left for work. _He's going to hate me for bailing on him right as everyone is going for their school supplies._

"What's your job?" Dudley questioned as he entered, heading straight for the table. Elise glanced at him, surprised he'd even asked – only to see a familiar mark as he rested a hand against his neck, hiding it from his father. His eyes met hers.

"…an ice-cream parlour, actually," Elise's forehead creased. _No. It didn't work – they said it wouldn't work because he was a muggle, and there was no-one to support him_ … _he wasn't even in the pool_. Then her eyes flickered to his head, as a white streak caught her eye, hidden in his unusually mussed, blonde hair. _He must have just enough magic…_ if they lived, this time around, Elise would keep an eye on his future family. No doubt Harriet would be an aunt to a magical niece or nephew, or perhaps both, or even plural.

"Cool. Do you get free ice-creams?"

"I do," Harriet put in quietly, "Mr Fortescue is very nice to me- to us."

"He's very nice to _you_ , Harry. He's my boss. He's not allowed to be nice to me." Elise served them bacon and eggs, just as the toast popped out of the toaster. Harriet dealt with it, buttering it nicely and sharing with Elise as the girls made their way to the table, settling down to eat.

Soon, though, it was actually time for Elise's shift. Looking to Vernon, she cleared her throat. "Uncle Vernon, I need _it_. Just to get to work and back." Vernon stilled at the mention of her wand, as per usual, beady eyes flicking to her.

" _Just_ to work and back."

"Of course, sir. Just to work and back," Elise lied, long used to it, even at that time in the original timeline. Vernon stood, plodding off somewhere that Elise didn't follow, deliberately, wanting to see his face as he handed her the enchanted wood. Unable not to smile at their reunion, Elise almost forgot to move back out of Vernon's space as her wand sparked.

" _Not in this house!_ " He shouted, Elise quickly waving to Harriet apologetically, apparating to the courtyard between Diagon and the Leaky – coincidentally, appearing right as Professor McGonagall stepped out from the Leaky Cauldron with a gaggle of muggleborn first-years and their parents.

"Oh! Hello, professor," Elise gave her professor a small smile, getting a warm one in return as everyone piled into the small courtyard. Elise went blank at the sight of so many alive little wix, not lying dead on the ground.

"Hello, Elise. Everyone, meet Elise Potter – your Head Girl, should you choose to attend Hogwarts this year." Elise's eyes widened at the reminder, before she realised this was actually the date she was informed, just like in the original timeline, when she was on her way to work.

"Really, Professor?" She tried to keep the charade up. "Head Girl?"

McGonagall patted her shoulder, "Yes, Elise. Head Girl. Now, why don't you open the alley for us?" She looked to the muggleborns and parents. "Watch carefully. There are no others ways into the alley for those without certain abilities or objects – both of which will be unavailable to you all, unless under specific circumstances or by paying a large amount of money to the appropriate governments, until you or your child is seventeen. Miss Potter?"

Elise twirled her wand in her hand, winking at young Stewart Ackerly before turning to the wall, making sure to let them all see as she tapped out the correct sequence of bricks, causing the archway to form to _ooh_ 's and _ah_ 's. Turning to them again, Elise tucked her wand away in her wand-holster, giving a polite smile.

"I hope you all have a great day in Diagon Alley, and – for my job's sake – don't forget to visit Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour in the afternoon for literally _any_ flavour of ice-cream you can think of," she tried not to make a face at the gleeful expressions. "And I do actually mean _every_ flavour," She whispered, waving, then giving a nod to Professor McGonagall before slipping into the alley, traversing through the crowds, wondering how to break it to Florean that this had to be her last day – she had no doubt he would hire someone new straight away, until the end of summer, so it would be the end of her job until at least next year.

Now, if she stopped practically having a _heart attack_ every time she saw someone who was dead in the future…


	2. Chapter 2

If there was one person Severus Snape didn't know whether to despise or adore, it was Elise Potter.

Adopted by Lily and James – and blood-adopted at that, something basically everyone knew – Elise's true parents were a mystery to most. Her mother? No-one knew. Her father? Well, Snape had guessed, and didn't like being proven wrong – she looked only slightly like Sirius Black, for all Snape thought he was her father, but as James Potter was related to the Black's, it was circumstantial evidence at best. Lily's features could have taken root deeper than Potter's, enough to swallow any remaining legacy from the mutt.

It was for those reasons that he hated her.

On the other hand, she was more brilliant a potioneer than him, which made her both valuable and brilliant – and Snape was too mature to be jealous.

Elise, from day one, had been curious and capricious, learning and learning, then applying that knowledge to her potion-making skills. When she showed him what she'd devised in second year, sharing with him her investigative journal of potions and potions-ingredients, he'd allowed her access to a private, supervised brewing room, to watch over her as she improved her skills. Snape was proud to say she was his finest pupil, and even supported her in getting her OWL and NEWT in Potions early, and her Herbology OWL too, which she passed with flying colours, just like her Potions exams. Currently, she was his apprentice, now for the third year running.

…which was why Elise herself was nervous for her return to Hogwarts. There was _no_ way she could dumb down her skill-level.

Bundling up her purchases from the apothecary and shrinking them down to pocket-size, Elise ducked into Knockturn Alley, ignoring the sneering and jeering wix who spat at her muggle clothes, heading into the – thankfully close by – fitting shop. Inside, the seamstresses didn't look up at her entrance, with the sole exception of the receptionist.

"Elisabeth," he drawled, "What brings you to Threadwixer?"

"New potions robes, new specialised casual robes, a wand holster for an underage witch and a new set of dragon-hide, giant-skin gloves. With padding," Elise drawled right back, making sure to mock the wizard. "Got that all?"

"Yes, yes – step onto the podium here and strip," he motioned to a small stand nearest him, which she went over to, waiting for the curtains to rise before taking off everything but her underwear and undervest, hiding the runes sunken into her body. Soon, a male seamstress came in, not bothering to speak to her as he took her measurements, muttering to himself before leaving. Elise pulled her things back on, stepping out of the curtains.

"I want everything done within the week. Owl everything but the holster to Hogwarts, paid under the Ministry's official apprentice tab. The holster is to me directly, paid from account two three seven nine two in Gringotts."

"Yes, ma'am," the receptionist rolled his eyes before she left, heading to Borgin and Burkes. Unlike Threadwixer, Borgin and Burkes was dark, dank and grimy, employees nowhere in sight. Elise had a goal in mind though, walking towards the back of the shop, where the Vanishing Cabinet stood, half-open.

"…there's no pair," came a gravelly voice, with a tinge of anger. "And I don't want mudbloods in my shop."

"I'm a pureblood, so respect your better," Elise replied sharply, not looking back at the no-doubt glaring man. "I want this held for me. I'll return for it in a week."

"Price?"

"Price is no issue. Hold it under Black," she muttered, before leaving, not letting him see her face – no need to connect Knockturn Alley to the Potter's, or the Potter's to the Black's. _No-one knows yet_.

Leaving Knockturn, however, was a little harder than she expected, as Aurors begun to raid a store right next to her, in the mouth of the exit to Diagon. Elise looked to her watch swiftly. _They're early._ Elise grit her teeth, before rushing further into Knockturn, wand twirling in her hand, darkening her sea-blue button-up and jean shorts to black, scarf lengthening into a cloak which she tied around her neck hurriedly, pulling up the hood as more Aurors burst into the area.

The Department of Mysteries had warned her to stick to a strict schedule, because the Aurors would not be merciful. Either end of the alley was blocked off already. Her only escape would be the sewers, if she didn't find a way to the nearest illegal apparation point, that officially, the DoM knew nothing about. _Two lefts, one right, one up, left then right down spiral staircases…_ then Elise bumped into a familiar figure, their hair flashing stark yellow, wand rising-

"Tonks, it's me, help me!" Elise pushed her hood back, arms going up as she forced a panicked look onto her face, eyes going teary. "Tonks, it's me, it's Elise, please!"

Tonks stared, "Elsey-Mel? What- what in Merlin's name are you doing here?" Tonks took her wrist, dragging her through the streets, throwing spells every which way and when at the alley residents who fought back. "Elise! Answer the bloody question!"

"Robes! Potions apprentice-robes – the bill is going to the Ministry apprentice fund right now!"

Tonks growled as she pulled up a shield-charm, defending them from a sickening, turquoise spell. "Dammit, didn't you get the notice? Snape should have sent you a letter or visited you-"

"I had work! No animals allowed in Florean's, and do you think Snape would be caught _dead_ at an ice-cream parlour?" Elise sucked in a pained breath as a cutting curse clipped her thigh, causing her to stumble, before Tonks pulled her further on, then finally stopping at one of three apparation points. Aurors guarding it made a path as Tonks cried out some kind of passphrase, the metamorphmagus dragging her into the square.

"Apparate home, Elise, and don't come back for _three_ days, got that? Not even to Diagon Alley, okay?"

"But-" _that would ruin her plan!_

"No but's, apparate home, _now_ , before I slap you for bringing me back without Teddy." Tonks snapped, letting go of her. Elise stumbled both in pain and in shock, before apparating straight into the Dursley kitchen, collapsing to the floor in semi-exhaustion. Petunia shrieked at her appearance.

"What happened?!"

"I needed- I needed to order some things at a shop in Knockturn, but there was a raid," Elise calmed her heartrate, wiping her eyes of the false tears, reversing the transfiguration on her scarf and clothes to Petunia's fright before looking to her thigh, the blood already dripping onto the kitchen linoleum. "Can I get the first-aid kit, please?"

Petunia continued to titter though, angry and scared. Harriet, thankfully, was in the dining room, and upon hearing Elise's command, worriedly grabbed it, coming over and wiping it with an antibacterial swab. Elise flinched, before grabbing a piece of gauze. The cut wasn't long, but it _was_ deep, and only touched the edge of her leg, having barely missed her. The gauze soaked up pretty quickly, but enough padding ensured that there was only a small spot of red before waterproof tape was placed over the top.

"Let's go upstairs," Harriet whispered as Petunia began to calm down. Elise nodded, getting up and wincing as she walked out of the kitchen into the hall, waiting for Harriet to put the kit away before going upstairs.

When they were in their room, Elise thought on using the gel from last night, but decided against it as she saw it had changed colour over the course of the day. For all she knew it would do the opposite of its purpose, now.

"What happened to you?"

"Auror raid in Knockturn," Elise glanced at Hedwig's post, where another owl sat. "Did you read it?"

"…no."

"You read it."

Harriet bit her lip, looking down. "I read it. Professor Snape said something about you not visiting the alley over the next week, but because you work at Diagon, I assumed it meant Knockturn. It came after you left, but I didn't have any way to tell you. Hedwig didn't come back from last night's hunt." Elise frowned slightly, before sitting down on her bed, taking her purchases out of her pocket, unshrinking them. Harriet went through the books, while Elise opened up the undetectably-expanded trunk-greenhouse she'd purchased.

"Elise, why did you get these? We've read them already…I think…" Harriet's voice faded slightly at the end, and Elise hid her smile. _It's working. She's coming back._ It was supposed to be slow-going, but if things like remembering books, even subconsciously, came back this fast? Then Elise would probably have the sister she remembered back before Fleur came to Hogwarts.

Hopefully, with a fully-informed, fully-Veela Gabrielle by her side. Elise did _not_ envy the sudden amount of growing that little girl was most likely going through right now.

"I'm going to be uprooting my garden tonight," Elise revealed to her sister as she flipped through the seventh-year DADA text. Harriet always had been the more magical one of them, despite all Harriet's doubts. Elise was good with potions, and magical creatures and plants, and Harriet was good with actual _magic._ Harriet had been the one who fought the Death Eaters, Harriet had been the one to face Voldemort.

Harriet had been the one to lay down her life for the good of the Wixen World.

"Is this to do with the emergency bag?" Harriet questioned. Elise nodded. "Where are we going?"

"To number twelve, Grimmauld Place." Then, unexpectedly, there was a _pop_ of elven apparation. In an instant, Elise had her wand trained between Kreacher's eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She asked levelly. Kreacher narrowed his eyes, his lips turning up sneakily.

"Lovely mistress remembers."

Elise lowered her wand, "This is getting out of hand. Dudley, Tonks, and now you? You didn't even _get_ the runes." How Tonks had come back was a mystery to her as well.

Kreacher bowed until his nose touched carpet. "Lovely mistress is lovely mistress. Kreacher is bound to lovely mistress, and lovely mistress went back in time." He stood, glancing back at Harriet. "Not-lovely, lovely-mistress' fake sister is slow to follow."

"The more the future slips away, the faster she comes," Elise replied quietly as Harriet stared, fascinated by the older elf – or maybe just fascinated by what he _said_. "Is number twelve habitable?"

Kreacher looked away from Harriet. "Kreacher has been working. Kreacher has cleaned number twelve, but dark creatures still make their home where they shouldn't. Kreacher cannot banish them – Kreacher is weak." His face crumpled, for a second, and Elise figured he'd faced the boggart. "But lovely mistress and not-lovely, lovely-mistress' fake sister, may come home. Ground floor, Kreacher has made safe."

Harriet finally spoke again, "Elise, what's going on? Why's he talking about time-travel? What does he mean I'm your fake sister?" Elise watched her sister carefully, noting how she reached for a wand-holster that wasn't there, and – even on the floor – placed herself in a ready position to fight. _Mannerisms, subconscious memories…_ "Elise, tell me what's going on."

"I'll tell you soon, I promise, but I'm moving our timetable up." She looked to Kreacher. "When you were spying on us – and _don't_ say you weren't – did you notice the magical plants in my garden?"

Kreacher sneered, muttering, "Filthy muggle flowers and food…Kreacher saw magical plants and flowers in lovely mistress' garden, yes, Kreacher did see."

Elise patted the trunk beside her, "I want you to put all my plants in here, okay? And don't let anyone see, or be able to tell somethings missing."

"Yes, lovely-mistress," Kreacher bowed again, before snapping his fingers, causing both himself and the trunk to disappear. Elise looked to Harriet, who was clutching the book in her hands tightly.

"I will tell you what's going on," Elise promised her sister, meeting her eyes, speaking softly. "As soon as we are out of this place, I will explain _everything_ , okay?" She waited until Harriet had stopped clenching her jaw and nodded before directing her, ordering her to gather her things as she herself pulled her trunk out from under her bed, trying to remember where her potions ingredients _within_ number four were, other than the bathroom.

Soon though, the two of them were packed and ready to go, Kreacher returning at Elise's word to take their things away.

"Take Harry too," Elise commanded. Harriet's eyes went wide.

"But what about the Dursley's?"

"I'll be fine – I have my wand, remember?"

Harriet still looked worried. Elise leant over to kiss her on the forehead, hugging her tightly. "You'll be fine. Kreacher will protect you." Elise glanced at Kreacher at that, hoping it would remind him of the oaths he swore to her. He grumbled, looking away, looking regretful, which Elise took as confirmation. Letting her go, Elise watched the two disappear, before she started waving her wand, vanishing and transfiguring various objects. Soon, the bedroom looked more like the guest bedroom. _Petunia will be happy_.

Hearing said 'aunt', Elise made her way downstairs to the kitchen, watching as Petunia cleared her throat, motioning to an open linen napkin on the side.

"Your… _wand_ ," Petunia said it as if it were a scandalous object. Instead of complying, Elise tucked it in her holster instead, stepping closer to the woman who had raised her from the young age of four.

"I want to thank you. And apologise. As I'm an adult in the Wizarding World, I can take Harry into my own custody. I was going to wait a few days, but I managed to secure a place early. I'm sorry you ever had to take us in. I'm sorry you had to look after three children rather than one. I thank you for not just giving us up." _Especially as I'm not even your real niece._ "Harry's already gone. It's just me. I have something for you, before I leave."

"What…" Petunia was quiet, not understanding what was happening. Elise took out an envelope from her pocket, holding it out. Petunia took it cautiously, opening it up. Her eyes widened at the number on the cheque. "How do you have this much money?"

"I work, I told you. And the conversion rate right now is about five pound to the galleon. I had a lot of galleons to give. You'll have a week before it expires though – the money'll go to a trust fund for Dudley otherwise, so that's your choice."

"Dudley…why-"

"The future will be a remarkable place – save your money, Petunia, and that's advice from someone who's seen it. And the trust is more for Dudley's children, if they ever turn out to be magical. I think at least one might. Let's hope he treats them better than you did us." Elise placed her hands on Petunia's arms, leaning up and pressing a kiss to her powdered cheek. "Farewell. Only the gods know when we shall meet again."


	3. Chapter 3

Harry was worried for Hedwig when she didn't appear after their move to number twelve. Hedwig had always been able to find her. Her worry manifested itself in cleaning, or rather disinfesting number twelve, to Kreacher's both hate and grudging respect. It was strange how spells came to her mind without prompting, her wrist moving in unfamiliar motions on automatic – how sometimes, she didn't have to say anything out loud for a spell to work.

Even with Elise's elaborate tale of _time travel_ and _World War Three_ and _nuclear missiles_ and the _Department of Mysteries_ , the fact that Harry was slowly becoming someone else – even it that someone was her – scared her.

Kreacher said that the wards protected them from the Ministry sensing her, them, doing magic, so Harry could use her wand without fear. Elise encouraged her to carry it around in her hand rather than in her back-pocket. Harry found herself trying to put it in her sleeve – even when she didn't have a sleeve. It was an unusual sensation, and then, of course, Elise presented her with a wand holster.

It felt like she'd regained a part of herself, and soon, Harry was staring at herself in a mirror as she held a wand, just…wondering. _I look totally different_.

But still, Hedwig's disappearance took up a lot of her brain-power, as worry confounded her and her imagination ran wild. Perhaps she was dead, perhaps she had left. Perhaps she'd been caught by muggles and was now spending time in a wildlife sanctuary with a tracker on her leg and a tag bearing a number. By the end of the week, Elise too, was worried.

Then the doorbell rang.

Downstairs at the time, Harry went to answer it, wary, wand in hand, as she knew that barely anyone could even see the townhouse, let alone _knock_. Peering through the spyhole, Harry's eyes widened before she opened the door quickly, tapping the many locks and bolts before turning the handle.

Once the door was open, she exclaimed, "Hedwig!" The snowy owl fluttered from the tall blonde woman's hand to Harry's outstretched one, the younger girl holding the owl carefully, but tightly, tears stinging her eyes. "Oh, Hedwig, I thought you were _gone_."

"She is perfectly well, _ma fifille_ ," the woman spoke, French accent only barely audible in her English, but more obvious as she spoke her mother-tongue. Harry looked up, and was momentarily enthralled with the beautiful teen, before a small, awe-filled voice caught her attention.

"Harry?"

Harry's head snapped sideways, eyes meeting the other girl's easily. Her name slipped out without consent from its owner – "Gabrielle. _Gabrielle!_ " Harry could see flashes in her head, and her chest pounded and felt full with an emotion she couldn't name. "My Gabrielle."

"Harry – Harriet, Harry, _Harry_. Mine, mine, mine, mine…" Gabrielle came forwards, and Hedwig had the foresight to fly into the house as Gabrielle flung herself into Harry's waiting arms. Harry held on tightly, squeezing her dark green eyes shut just as firmly. Soon, the hug though became less full of desperation, and more longing, and of comfort.

"I've missed you so much and I didn't even know it," Harry whispered, unable to process everything flowing through her brain. Opening her eyes, Harry walked backwards, pulling Gabrielle with her as Fleur stepped inside, shutting the door as Kreacher came up from the kitchen.

"Creatures…" he muttered, shaking his head. "Lovely mistress will be happy…" he _popped_ away, and a few seconds later, Elise apparated into the hallway, eyes only briefly settling on Gabrielle before the fell to Fleur.

The ensuing show had both Harry and Gabrielle staring in horror, as their lips connected and Fleur pushed Elise up against the wall, all over her as their bodies moulded into one.

"When are they going to _stop?_ " Gabrielle watched, both equally riveted and disgusted. Harry was much the same.

It ended quickly though, as Elise trailed a hand over Fleur's side, and she jerked in a way that in no way meant pleasure. Elise disconnected them both, staring at her lover, before Harry made the tumultuous decision to watch as she unbuttoned her shirt. Underneath? Bandages – bandages that were tinged pink.

"You haven't cleaned these properly," Elise muttered, "You never were good at all those cleaning charms that Apolline was amazing at." Elise glanced at the two of them. "Harry, why don't you take Gabrielle up to your room and talk or something? I'm going to help Fleur heal up." Harry hesitated, looking to Gabrielle before nodding, taking her best friends hand and leading her up the dark staircase. _Thank Merlin the house-elf heads are gone – and Mrs Black._

When they reached her bedroom, Gabrielle held her back. "Harry?" Harry turned to face her.

"What?"

Gabrielle stared at her, eyes full of conflict. "Are we _just_ friends?"

Harry didn't know what she meant for a minute, but Gabrielle gave her time, the memories slowly filtering to the forefront of her mind.

 _Golden skin, smooth hands_.

Harry swallowed.

"Oh. Uh. Well…we _are_ friends, but…aren't we a little young for more?"

The French girl raised a perfectly-formed eyebrow. "Harry, I'm fourteen, unlike you right now – your birthday hasn't even come yet. I'm fine. I just don't want you to be uncomfortable." Her accent, unlike Fleur's, Harry noticed, was invisible. _Maybe it's because of her maturation into a proper Veela._ Gabrielle had certainly grown a lot in comparison to what Harry could – barely – remember of her the first time they met, in the Black Lake. "Harry?"

Harry blinked, before bringing her hands up to Gabrielle's face, leaning forwards and down a touch to kiss the girl, pressing their lips together for exactly three seconds before pulling back, hands moving to take Gabrielle's.

"It would be a bit weird to do that kind of thing this young, I agree," Gabrielle whispered, swinging their hands. "But you _are_ my girlfriend, Harry, and I am yours, and I must claim you as mine if we wish to continue as we did in the last world. _Now_."

"How does it work again?" Harry could remember a rising feeling of warmth, and arms around her torso, but knew there was more to it than that.

"I make a nest in our safe place in this sanctuary," Gabrielle's grip tightened, "and I hold you until our bond has settled." Harry shut her eyes, swaying slightly as a barrage of memories – of feelings, rained down on her, comforting her and cradling her. "No-one must interrupt."

"Make your nest in here – I'll get us some food. Kreacher can make a hamper," Harry opened her eyes, squeezing Gabrielle's hands once before giving her a chaste kiss, letting go and rushing downstairs before the need to take Gabrielle's hands again grew too strong.

On reaching the ground floor, Harry went to the kitchen, slowing upon hearing muffled speech. Slowing, she approached the door, peering through the crack to find her sister and Fleur speaking together in a language that…was not English, and nor was it French. Harry's eyes became glued to them though as Elise's hands glowed slightly, pressing against Fleur's bare, weeping flesh, causing it to heal rapidly in front of her eyes.

 _I wonder if that's what Elise's potion did, too,_ Harry wondered, before the door swung open, revealing her as Kreacher came into the room. Elise and Fleur didn't stop whatever it was they were doing, not even glancing at either of them. Harry licked her lips, before remembering Gabrielle, looking down at the house-elf walking past her feet.

"Kreacher – Kreacher, Gabrielle and I need a hamper of food, and to be undisturbed for a while." Kreacher glanced at her, grumbling at 'the creature', which for some reason Harry didn't take offense to, when she _absolutely_ should.

"What's got you so grumpy?" She questioned rhetorically, not expecting an answer – only to get one as Kreacher froze, eyes flickering between her and his cupboard rapidly. Memories flashed before her eyes, vivid and petrifying, laced with green and a darkness that made her want to be sick.

Harry went to the cupboard, swinging it open to reveal Kreacher's once-long-long treasures, the locket – blistered and blackened, stinking of basilisk – sitting in the middle.

"Horcruxes," Harry glared viciously, looking to Kreacher, pointing at him, anger rising as she remembered just what exactly was in her scar. "Get the basilisk venom you were using. The container needs to be opened for it to work."

"Yes mistress!" Kreacher gasped, sounding delighted and tearful, rushing off, forgetting he could apparate as Harry picked the locket up by it's chain, feeling the cloud of evil around it. Of course, _that_ was when Elise and Fleur finished their little ritual, and upon feeling the darkness, made twin sounds of disgust.

"I had forgotten that we had to deal with those," Elise muttered darkly, gripping Fleur tightly as the French-woman pulled on her shirt once more. "I kept thinking of the muggles, and the war against them…I forgot we had to deal with Riddle's immortality too."

"Yes," Harry had only eyes for the locket, keeping it in her sight at all times as she placed it on the empty kitchen table, Fleur slipping off the edge of it as she did. Kreacher came back into the room. "Do you have it?"

"Yes, mistress," he was actually crying now. Harry motioned for him to come up to stand on the table, waiting until he did before speaking in Parsletongue, " _Open._ "

The locket opened with a loud _snap_ , a shockwave pushing Harry, Elise and Fleur back momentarily, but Kreacher didn't move, or give it any time to take a hold of any of them, gleefully pouring what looked to be an entire container of basilisk venom onto the soul-shred. It screamed a high-pitched scream that caused Fleur to let out her own yell at the pitch, before it finally died, leaving behind a smoking container. Kreacher immediately summoned a frying pan to his hand, banging it against the locket, even more thoroughly damaging it as the magic-infused pan bent and just… _broke_ it.

"Feel better, Kreacher?" Harry asked, voice confident. She could feel Elise's gaze on her. Harry ignored it, taking out her wand and tracing a basic purifying rune on the table, filling it with her magic – maybe a little too much – and activating it, standing still as the magic swept through the kitchen and the rest of the house, banishing the latent remnants of the dark magic. It had the added effect of making it that much easier to breathe as the cloying atmosphere disappeared.

"Kreacher- is- very- happy," the house-elf emphasised his words by banging the pan, finally stopping as the locket broke in half. "Kreacher will live happily, knowing Master Regulus' orders are done and the locket is destroyed. Kreacher feels very much better." He lowered the pan, getting off of the table and snapping his fingers, causing the locket to disappear. "Does mistress and lovely-mistress and creature-mistresses want Kreacher to wear uniform like in the first future?"

"Yes, thank-you Kreacher," Elise replied, causing the house-elf to disappear. Harry felt a faint tug on her magic – _I'm coming Gabrielle_ – and hurried to the cupboards, grabbing the loaf of bread and a couple of knives, and multiple spreads, along with an entire bowl of oranges. "And what are you going to do with that?"

"Gabrielle's making a nest – we're forming a bond," Harry explained, before waving to the both of them and leaving hurriedly, feet practically flying across the floor. "Sorry! No time!"

Elise watched her sister leave with a feeling of surprise. "I didn't think they would want to be bonded again so soon."

Fleur hummed, holding Elise to her close. "Mama and papa will not be happy when they discover this." Elise frowned, looking back to her partner.

"What happened, after you both came back?"

Fleur grimaced, "They were very worried after finding my sheets flecked with blood. I did not have access to anything to help my wounds – they very nearly festered. And you?" Fleur lifted the edge of Elise's shirt, eyes going wide at the indentations. " _Mon amour_ …"

"It's fine. They're healed – I just have to make sure no-one sees them."

"And if you are Triwizard Champion, again?" Fleur questioned, causing Elise to shrug.

"Muggle wetsuit – it's warmer than a swimsuit, anyway, and safer. Do you think Gabrielle would ward it for me?"

"She would do anything for you if Harriet willed it," Fleur glanced upstairs, hackles rising. "She is marking your household with that nest."

"We should make our own," Elise suggested, murmuring. "Before Sirius returns here, Remus in tow. When _they_ mark this household, no-one else will be able to settle."

"Too much magic, too much scent," Fleur grimaced, before Elise pressed a kiss to her jaw. "How would we bond?"

"As Harry and Gabby are," Elise replied, "but later, more…intimate."

"Of course. I look forward to relearning your body." Fleur looked down on her lover with dark eyes, Elise supressing her smirk as Fleur trailed off, going to the surrounding cupboards and cabinets, collecting their own selection of food – they would be less hungry than the other two, but they would be spending longer, so a large amount was gathered.

"Follow me," Elise whispered, before apparating upstairs to her room. She could feel Fleur even eight floors above her, and a few seconds later, Fleur appeared, wand flicking out to lock the door as she deposited the selection on a clean table, form shifting, imperceptible except to those who knew what to look for.

"I love you," Elise said simply. Fleur hummed, glowing a soft silver, hawk-like eyes turning an even darker orange.

"And I you, _ma petite wix_."


	4. Chapter 4

It was another few days before Kreacher _popped_ into the kitchen with a handful of letters, feathers dotting his hair. "Mistresses – letters. Owls deliver them, covered in spells. Kreacher steal letters and get rid of spells."

Fleur leant over, one arm reaching out gracefully as the other stayed in contact with Elise's soft shoulder. "Thank-you, Kreacher. What kind of owls delivered them?" Kreacher gave a description as Fleur sorted through the letters, handing several to Harry, three to Elise, and pausing, before handing one to Gabrielle.

"Mama writes," she explained quietly as she opened a letter of her own, two more waiting on the table. Elise left her to her own, knowing that the letters weren't any of her business, instead opening one of her own, with familiar handwriting.

 _Elise,_

 _Where are you? Where is your sister? It is of the utmost importance that you both return to Privet Drive immediately._

 _Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,  
Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump, Grand Sorcerer, Order of Merlin (First Class)._

"More of a note," Elise cocked her head, murmuring, before placing it down and picking up another that jingled with coin. Reading it told Elise the money was the last of her pay from Florean's. The last letter was from Sirius. She opened it, reading. "Kreacher," she called once she was finished, "have you finished tidying Sirius' room?"

Kreacher nodded avidly, "Yes mistress, Kreacher did as lovely-mistress commanded and took out the walls to properly redecorate. Kreacher didn't want to, but he did as lovely-mistress said and hung up an ugly red and gold Gryffindor banner in Master Sirius' new room. Kreacher placed the photos lovely-mistress gave in the frames lovely-mistress and lovely-mistress' creature-mistress provided and put them on the walls."

"Thank-you for your effort and tolerance," Elise replied, nodding, before motioning to the letter. "Sirius said he was heading towards London – no doubt, he is coming here. Dress his bed."

"Yes, lovely-mistress," Kreacher bobbed his head, before Elise pressed a kiss to Fleur's neck.

"I'm going out to check on the progress the mundanes have made on Grimmauld Place."

"Have fun, _ma chère_ ," Fleur turned her head to press an actual kiss to her lips as she stood, smiling sadly, going back to her letter. Across the table, Harriet was already making a start to her replies, and Gabrielle was…ripping her letter into tiny pieces.

 _Parents seem to be difficult beings_. Not having had any since she was young, Elise couldn't exactly remember what having one felt like. But they were probably worried about their daughters – Fleur had told her how they'd ran away together. From what she could remember of the brief times they had met, the Delacour's loved their daughters very much.

Exiting number twelve, Elise sat down on the top step, watching the muggles work tirelessly away at making Grimmauld a nicer-looking place. The square, which had once been majestic, had fallen to neglect, and Elise seeked to rectify that – especially if she planned on living in her ancestral home. Each of the townhouses was being thoroughly washed and repainted, the fences replaces, the tiny courtyards cleaned and repaved. Steps up to houses were replaced, and in the middle of the square, the park, dark and full of rubbish and trees, was cleared out, with only dirt in it, surrounded by make-shift barriers to ward people from going inside.

Muggles could work _fast_ if enough money was involved.

Soon, Elise knew, the park would be remodelled into a green, with a set of swings and a small playpark. The inhabitants of Grimmauld Place, much like her – provided their steps weren't being replaced at that moment – liked to sit on their steps and watch as everything came together. Elise would be putting some more money into cleaning up the surrounding blocks too, but only after buying everything up. Muggles liked renting townhouses in this part of London, not much coming from owning one otherwise. Once she did, Elise would have the muggles do the insides of the houses, and, due to the Black's insatiable need to collect, to gain money and hoard it, Elise could afford it _easily_.

Her own little courtyard had been done up before they arrived, courtesy of Kreacher. Now, they could get into the basement, the door no longer blocked, and potters sat around the shiny black fence. Each plant was something from her garden at number four, the backyard not yet having been faced. It was probably for the best, until Elise had more than just Fleur and Harry by her side.

No offense to Gabrielle, but she wasn't much of a wand person, not that Elise could speak – but she knew plants, and gardens.

The plants themselves were happy enough currently, sunlight shining down on them due to the lack of dark trees in the park. _I am a genius, really_. Her eyes drifted, more ideas popping into her head.

"Maybe I could turn Grimmauld Place into a semi-magical housing zone," she mused, before spotting a bewildered-looking wizard on the corner, up the street, a tall triangular wardrobe beside him. Rising from the step, Elise peered before recognising the man as someone she had sent for that morning to pick up the Vanishing Cabinet – the valuable piece of magical furniture that _led to Hogwarts currently sitting defenceless on the pavement._

 _I thought it was coming later!_ Rushing out of the gate, Elise cursed herself before approaching the man as a muggle worker left, looking weirded out. "Hey – hey, Mr Ebblington."

Ebblington turned to her, looking even more confused than he did before. "Ma'am? Which- which house do you live in again?"

Elise gave him a thin smile, "That information is unavailable to you, currently. Thank-you for standing in for me in the transaction."

Ebblington fidgeted, playing with his wand, "There are a lot of muggles around. I'm lucky I didn't need the Obliviation Squad."

"It's fine – a moment, though," Elise raised her wand, flicking it precisely. Looking around, satisfied that the muggles weren't paying attention, Elise levitated the cabinet to her side. "Thank-you again."

Ebblington tipped his hat, before apparating away. Elise floated the cabinet down the street, back towards number twelve, entering, directing the cabinet into the lounge, into an empty corner cleared for exactly this purpose. She'd be getting Gabrielle to check it and it's pair out. Draco had spent a year fixing it, and she'd seen the Ancient Runes NEWT he'd taken in his seventh year. Even with a Dark Lord walking the nation, at the time, no-one had been treated overly-fairly in exams. The fact that he got an OO+ told her not to try anything herself.

Leaving the lounge, Elise made her way back to the kitchen, only to pause outside the music room as she saw the Tapestry shimmering. Entering, she locked her eyes on Orion Black, trying to branch out and failing, only able to create one of two links – a mistress link, to the one and only _Aurore Sinistra._ Elise swallowed, watching the second branch grow but become unable to create a face.

Her fingers reached out to trace where her face would go, if not for the enchantments entwined with her blood-adoption. Hearing slight breathing, Elise glanced around the room, spotting the one portrait in the room.

"Lady Black."

Walburga glared, seething and rasping, trying to rage but unable – a spell to introduce a sort of muteness to portraits had been cast on her. Kreacher had allowed it, because Elise said it was an alternative to actually destroying the vile woman's portrait.

Standing straight, Elise brushed down her jeans, smiling tightly. "In any other universe, I might not exist. Or maybe I would be your daughter – and Morgana help me if I was. How does it feel, knowing your husband had not one, but thirteen illegitimate daughters when you could only give him two sons?" She didn't speak for a few seconds, as if giving her time to speak. "I know you view sons as the better gift. The Black's have to continue on the name. It must burn to know that as Sirius is on the run – and innocent, I might add – and as you killed the rest of my sisters, that makes me the only way to continue on the Black name."

Elise gave a twisted grin. "And I'm gay as fuck and a _Potter_. And if your son did ever get the chance to become Lord Black, he wouldn't have kids – he's gay as fuck too, and loves a werewolf." Walburga's portrait looked about to cry, but was just as angry. She banged at the front of her portrait, as if trying to get out so she could strangle Elise. It wasn't unexpected, with her words, and her repairing of the Tapestry, adding once-banished members back to the family. "Seems the joke is on you." Giving the lesbian salute, Elise walked out of the room, continuing onto her original destination, where Harriet was tying a letter to Hedwig's leg, telling Gabrielle about how Ron was going to the Quidditch World Cup and had invited her and Elise.

"So are you going?" Elise wasn't fond of Quidditch, and if she did go, it would be so she could help those poor muggles when the drunken Death Eaters attacked.

"I said that he should bring someone else, because I've already got top-box tickets for the four of us – told him to invite Hermione and Neva."

Elise blinked in surprise. "You got tickets?"

"Yup," Harriet nodded. "We'll be staying on-site for the night before and after the game, or rather, the night before then saving everyone else. And hopefully catching Crouch before he can kidnap Moody."

A startled gasp escaped Elise, "I had forgotten!"

Harriet glanced at her sister, unimpressed as she took out a piece of parchment, placing it on the table. Elise looked over it, finding herself remembering every event listed that she had attended. Elise glanced at her sister.

"You've thought this through."

"You haven't, it seems," Harriet said, voice on the edge of breaking. "There is more than just a nuclear war coming that we have to stop. Voldemort…Tom's rise to power, it was ended. By me. By you. By the Order, and the Light Side. The nuclear war is a reaction from the muggles as their technology grows, and we don't adapt past recovering from the war. We need to end Voldemort before it starts, or before he can rise completely. Barty isn't going to kidnap Moody. The Dark Mark isn't going to be cast over the Quidditch World Cup camp-grounds. Voldemort isn't going to rise. He isn't going to send me visions. Sirius isn't going to die this time around." Her voice wavered, before she pushed on. "Umbridge won't take over Hogwarts. You won't be injured so severely by Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries that Fleur takes you to the Veela Enclave. Gabrielle and I won't die fighting against the muggles."

Elise let out a pained noise at the reminder of her sister's death, taking the list and holding it tightly, staring at Moody's name. "We need to capture Barty Crouch Junior."

"And I know how," Harriet proclaimed. "Kreacher – find the house-elf of Bartemius Crouch Senior, by the name of Winky. Capture her, and find her ward under an invisibility cloak."

Kreacher looked up from where he stood, eyes narrowed. "Kreacher might not be able to capture Winky-elf," he warned. "Kreacher is old, Kreacher is feeble – Winky-elf is young."

"Barty Crouch Junior takes priority," she said coolly. "You get him out of that house, and find a way to take him to the Ministry of Magic, Auror Department. You tell them his name, and that his ill mother used polyjuice potion to take his place in Azkaban. Bartemius Crouch Senior had nothing to do with it, and had no idea, as his wife ordered Winky never to tell him, and to keep him hidden. Do you understand?"

"Yes, mistress," Kreacher disappeared, and Elise wondered if she should ask Dobby to work for them – but he and Kreacher never got along, ideals not in alignment with the others. In any case, having him in Hogwarts was useful. Kreacher was old though, that was for certain, and would work himself to death if not careful.

"I think we should get our hands on another house-elf," she muttered out loud, for the benefits of the rest of her family currently in number twelve. Harriet's face lit up, most likely thinking of Dobby too, but Elise shook her head slightly, not wanting to say his name out loud in case he decided to _pop_ into existence in front of them. She looked to Fleur. "Where could one get a house-elf?"

"Gringotts could find one, if suitably paid," Fleur replied, twirling a lock of Elise's dark hair on her finger. Elise leaned in, kissing her softly, unable to get enough of her mate. " _Mon amour_ , why would we need another elf?"

"Kreacher runs too many of these types of errands," Elise said softly, before thinking to Sirius. When would he arrive? Would the muggles try to put him to the pound if he showed up as Padfoot? And the million galleon question – would he actually come to Grimmauld at all?

Elise thought he would, but then again, he was still on the run in the original timeline, quite literally. It would be strange for him to come back so early…a spark flickered through her mind. _Tonks remembers. Kreacher remembers._ Elise and Harriet remembered. And what did they all have in common?

House Black.

Elise stood abruptly, rushing to the music room, eyes scanning the Tapestry. _What Black's are alive other than Sirius, Tonks and I?_ Harriet, she knew, had Black blood, and there were no other Potter's, so her branch was safe, but the immediate family of the Black's… She looked to dates, mentally crossing out to those with two, compiling a list in her head.

 _Bellatrix._

 _Narcissa._

 _Draco._

 _Marius._

 _Andromeda._

 _Nymphadora._

 _Edward-_ Elise stalled, eyes spinning back to Edward's name. _Edward?_ She looked to his parents, only to find Tonks' maiden name staring back at her, Remus' beside it, the vine between them twisting between wedlock marriage and marriage, _Tonks_ itself shimmering faintly, trying to go between itself and _Lupin_ , but stubbornly staying as Tonks mostly. Elise knew how the Tapestry worked. This wasn't possible. How was this _possible?_

"Elise?" Fleur, Gabrielle and Harriet were at the door to the room.

"Family members. Tonks remembered. Kreacher remembered. What if they remember too? And also, why is Teddy Lupin on the tree?"

"What?" Harriet flew over, dropping down in front of her godson's name, tracing the stylised _Edward Remus Lupin_. "No. How? He isn't even going to be _born_ for another four years!" Her fingers went to his birthdate, Elise glancing at it, frowning at the date. "March seventeenth, nineteen ninety-five," Harriet spoke slowly. "So…Teddy's going to be born next year? In…"

"Nine months," Gabrielle said, sounding confused. "Why is your Tapestry showing the future?" Elise was confounded, so she had no answer to her mate-sister. "Fleur?"

"I do not know, Gabby," the Veela whispered. "This is most strange. Tonks…she must be pregnant, right now."

"But she's on active Auror duty," Elise said in horror, "she doesn't know Teddy is coming back, let alone that she's pregnant."

"And Sirius is alive," Harriet swallowed, "So Remus and he…is Remus even back? Is Sirius?"

"We don't know," Elise revealed, before beginning to worry over the three sisters Black – aka, Tonks' mother Andromeda, Narcissa Malfoy, and Bellatrix. She'd worry over Draco later – and Marius, well…that would need some investigating. _A squib_ , she remembered. "When Sirius gets here, we'll know very quickly. Everyone else though-" Elise paused, before breathing in slowly.

She had to visit Azkaban.

"Excuse me," Elise took Fleur's hand, squeezing it. "I need to go to the Ministry. I will hopefully be back before evening." She shivered, just thinking of the cold of the North-sea prison, the chill of the dementors – even as a memory – going deep into her bones. Fleur seemed to sense her distress, and tried to stop her from leaving.

"Elise, Elise, stay, please."

"I need to go. There's a security concern," she pressed a kiss to Fleur's lips, before apparating away without her, appearing in the Atrium of the Ministry.

"Wand, please," a lonesome guard said, no looking up from his newspaper. Elise stepped off the apparation platform, putting her wand into the reader beside him. He glanced up as it rumbled. "Hawthorn and dragon heart-string, of a quite bendy consistency, fourteen inches?"

"Yes," Elise confirmed as he folded up his newspaper.

"Reason for visiting the Ministry?" He pulled a typewriter out from the side, badge-making machine on it's end. Elise took her wand back.

"I need to apply for a permit to visit the High Security wing of Azkaban." The guard froze. "Where could I go to apply, at this time of day?"

"…High Security requires Auror supervision and a signed writ from the Head of Department."

"Law Enforcement, then. Thank-you…Gary," she read off his name-tag, leaving without a badge, going to the elevators.

The journey up to the DMLE was short, as most people were still in work, but once there, trying to get a hold of an escort to visit Azkaban? It took longer than it should have. Eventually, she got in to see Amelia Bones, the current Head of the DMLE, something she was no doubt proud of, and after an impromptu interrogation into her motives – which she eased through, short-term planning never really being her strong point in any case, like any Black, instinct driving them – she got a pass.

And a two-dozen Auror escort which included Tonks.

Elise didn't know whether to be happy or not about that.


	5. Chapter 5

Sitting, now, in a boat as they magically rowed to Azkaban, next to the Tonks, Elise leant over. "Teddy is on the Tapestry." Tonks stiffened, keeping a remarkable control over her hair-colour. "He's supposed to be born March seventeenth."

"What do- what do you mean, _born?_ " Tonks' eyes darted between her fellow Aurors, before she met Elise's. "If you're fucking with me-"

"We don't know anything concrete yet, but we think that people related to us are remembering, like you have." Tonks glanced out to where Azkaban laid.

"Bellatrix."

"This is just to see if we're right, otherwise we have another problem – you, and Teddy, coming out of nowhere, unless that's on purpose because we failed and the DoM sent you back."

"They didn't," Tonks watched Azkaban appear out of fog, shivering even as patronii surrounded them, warding off the dementors. "…wait. Teddy, he- oh fuck. He's going to be born in March. Next year."

"Congratulations," Elise muttered. Their hands met, Elise squeezing in comfort as Tonks' wolf patronus flickered, before disappearing. Raising her own wand, to another Auror's consternation, she willed her patronus into existence, the tall, transformed veela silently roaring as it crested the rest of the others, all glowing brighter as the dementors retreated a little more. Holding her happy memory in place, Fleur and Harriet and Gabrielle and Sirius and all her loved ones stuck in her head, Tonks anchored her as she shut her eyes, Azkaban getting even closer.

When their boat bumped up against the dark, slippery rock, Elise opened her eyes and got out, along with the rest of the detail. Entering though, saw her wand confiscated, her patronus fading. Elise looked to Tonks, who didn't let go of her hand as they walked through the prison, ignoring the jeers and shouts of the imprisoned. Tonks' patronus was recast, still flickering every so often, but glowing strong.

 _A very happy memory,_ Elise thought _, but one marred by negative emotions_. Most likely it was to do with her family that she'd had in the future – Teddy, Remus. Elise didn't envy her, knowing that with a child on the way and lack of a supportive, in-the-know husband, was going to cause Tonks great grief.

It took around an hour for them to reach the High Security Wing. The dementors presence here was tangible in more than just the usual way. Despair clung to the walls, but despite that the prisoners inside were lucid, mostly. Sirius' cell was obvious, with dulled neon yellow Ministry tape over the entrance, warning people not to approach the area in question.

Bellatrix's cell was opposite. Stopping outside it, the dementors at either end of the corridor warded away by their spectral companions, Tonks raised a privacy ward for her.

"Half an hour, tops, Elise," she warned, before Elise went up to the bars, looking inside for Bellatrix.

At first, she didn't see her – then she did, as the witch jumped out from the side, weak hands grasping at the bars as she grinned, rotted teeth on full view.

"Cousin!"

Elise's blank face didn't change. "Cousin."

Bellatrix cackled, "I was wondering when you would show! What did you do? I thought it was a nightmare! But it wasn't, because if it was, you wouldn't be here, Elise Blacktower." Elise tried not to flinch at the Black's version of the bastard name. "What did you _do!_ " She screamed suddenly, all humour gone as her entire body screamed _anger_. "The Dark Lord will rise – he _will_ rise again!"

"She's a security risk," Tonks muttered, stepping forwards until the other Auror's couldn't see it as she brought her wand up, sticking it in Bellatrix's ribs. The dark witch stilled, quieting. "What were you going to do if she remembered?"

Elise stared at her cousin-by-blood, before holding out her hand. Tonks looked at it briefly, before handing Elise her wand.

"What are you going to do?"

Elise locked eyes with Bellatrix, barely moving as she brought the wand to the witch's head.

"Let's hope I don't delete everything. _Obliviate!_ " There was a small flash of blue, before Tonks took her wand back, flashing her hair the same shade at the ends in case anyone had seen it in their peripheral vision. The two of them watched as Bellatrix dropped to the ground dazedly, blinking those dark-lidded eyes of hers. "I think that did it," Elise whispered, before stepping back. Tonks though, stayed by the cell bars, watching her as she came-to, pinpointing her niece immediately.

Elise would have wondered how she did it so quickly, what with the disorientation and Tonks' stillness, but Bellatrix hadn't been Tom's right hand for nothing.

"Who are you?" She questioned, tilting her head, crawling over before standing, hands grasping at the bars like before. "Little baby Auror…those badges give everything away," Bellatrix laughed madly, before pressing her face closer, in between two bars. "You look familiar."

"My name is Nymphadora Cassiopeia Tonks. My mother was- is, Andromeda."

Bellatrix's eyes lit up in understanding, "Well, ain't the world a _remarkable_ place. Andy's little girl…I'll enjoy killing you and your spawn." Tonks and Elise both startled at this. "I can tell. It's a gift, actually – it's how I knew Andy had betrayed the family in the first place, having a baby out of wedlock." She glared at Tonks, anger returning, before she slipped backwards, to the furthest corner of her cell.

Tonks looked to Elise, wide-eyed. "She can still access the family magic. Why didn't you bar her access in the Grimoire?" Tonks removed the privacy bubble, raising her voice. "And _why the fuck_ can Lestrange use family magic while in her cell?"

That caught a few Aurors, though a few were confused. The guard who originally led them up seemed alarmed, rushing over and running their hand over the arch of her door, causing runes to light up – but some, rather than the usual blue, came up red. They cussed.

"Get the civilian out of here! Someone's been at the wardstone! Call an alarm! Lock down the entire prison! _Right now!_ " Elise looked to Tonks, who grabbed her arm, shouting to her fellow Aurors.

"Five to me! Three-sixty degree protection unit! Higgins, sound the alarm and start lockdown procedures! The rest of you, spread out and stay in the same vicinity as the Guard!" Elise could hear the emphasis on the title as she ordered them around, trying not to trip up as Tonks and the five she'd asked for gathering in a circle around her, rushing her out of the Wing.

"What's going on?" She questioned, not knowing enough about Azkaban to properly comprehend what was happening.

Tonks snapped at her, "That's classified, even to you – we have to get you out and onto the mainland. _Don't_ ask questions – you answer them, okay? Why didn't you strike Bellatrix off the Grimoire registry?"

"I can't access the Grimoire," Ellie revealed, panicking slightly as she revealed the truth of her predicament involving said Grimoire, one she'd always had, even in the future. "Walburga – she took _me_ off, when I was born!"

"But you were able to return Mum and I to the family – and don't think I don't know about that. We got letters from Gringotts about our inheritance from Alphard Black that had been waiting to be reabsorbed into the Black Vault upon our death's and a third-generation dilution of blood. How can you return us but not remove Bellatrix's access?"

"The Tapestry is a magical object in its own right, almost, if not equal to the power of the Grimoire," Elise explained. "The Grimoire recognises those on the Tapestry and the will of those that use the Grimoire. In a way, it's sentient. The Tapestry, however, isn't like that. It recognises blood, and having faces burnt off. Having a face burnt off means you deny the truth the Tapestry gives, and so it learns not to show any more of that truth. The Grimoire has it's own rules. It uses the Tapestry as a reference point, ignoring anything done to it, such _as_ , burning off faces."

The group turned a corner, entering a differently-structured area. Elise finished her explanation shortly.

"I used the Tapestry. It recognises me as Lady Regent of House Black while Sirius doesn't wear the Ring, so I can do whatever I like to it. See?" She raised her right hand, showing the delicate silver braid on her middle finger, inlaid with a black opal, the Family Crest printed onto it's surface.

"Shit, Elise, you certainly did a lot," Tonks muttered. "Emergency exit is just up here."

"What about my wand?"

"It'll be mailed to you at the end of the month," Tonks explained with a flip of her hand. "The Ministry will provide you free magical transport and identity verification until then. Nothing will get out or into here until Summer solstice – this kind of lockdown can't end until one of the Celebrations. Runic Rule."

"Okay," Elise replied, feeling as if the wind was knocked out of her.

No wand.

She could do it. She could. She thought she could at least. She'd lived without it for the first eleven years of her life, after all.

 _This isn't going to end well._

* * *

Sirius didn't expect to come home to Grimmauld to find it inhabited – let alone the surrounding area getting done up. He was almost chased off by someone because of the fleas jumping off his skin. Growing up, the streets had been a second home to him, as he tried to escape his mother and the darker members of his family. But seeing it clean, bright, _nice_ …Sirius felt like a stranger.

A good kind of stranger.

Approaching number twelve, he slipped inside, the bars of the gate no barrier while Padfoot's form was this skinny. Once inside the wards, he could taste the magic – and it was _so_ much different. Before, the wards of the townhouse had been hellish, like a rabid dog whose only saving grace was the fact that it didn't tear open Sirius' flesh, no matter how much animosity it felt towards him, due to Walburga's opinion. Now, it was like the dog had been tamed. It was still dangerous, but it was older, kinder. If it did bite at him, Sirius could tell, it wouldn't be a mortal one.

The fact that his father's wards had been modified though, made his hackles rise, quite literally. His father was no saint, but nor was he a terrible father. Feeling his work in this state – his _life's work_ – made Sirius defensive without even thinking.

Growling, Padfoot became Sirius, and the house sensed it, aligning with him immediately, to his utter shock. The Lord's Ring even appeared on his finger.

"What?" He looked between the house and the ring, before barrelling forwards, the door opening for him as he stepped inside, rushing around the ground floor, staring at every change made, every empty wall that was no longer decked with house-elf heads and terrifying portraits of his relatives. Every snake motif had been dissolved, replaced with the traditional Black Raven, and the candle chandeliers had been removed, in their place simple, white lightbulbs, hanging on pale cream strings. How _lightbulbs_ had been allowed into the Black's home, Sirius had no idea, but it put him at ease, even if only slightly.

Mundane sympathisers lived in his home.

That by no reason meant that they would welcome him back, but knowing the Lord's Ring had appeared assured Sirius that a Regent had been here, had stepped foot inside these wards.

"Kreacher," he called, to see if the elf still lived. A moment later, the elf appeared, decked in a familiar uniform. Sirius grinned. _Elise is back too!_ She had to be! She designed the uniform, after all!

"Lord Master Black," Kreacher bowed, grumbling. "Lord Master Black returns home. Does he bring his pet werewolf?" There was a beat, before Sirius realised he meant Remus, his features twisting.

"Don't call him my pet. Are you back too, then?"

Kreacher gave him the stink-eye, "Lord Master Black means lovely-mistress' time travel?" _Time travel_ , Sirius mouthed, before nodding, smile reappearing. Kreacher only referred to _one_ person as 'lovely-mistress'. "Kreacher, yes, Kreacher is back too. Not-lovely mistress' fake sister mistress is downstairs in the kitchen with creature-lady mistress'."

"Thanks," he powered down the corridor, down the stairs to the kitchen, swinging the door open- "Harry!"

Harry squealed, rushing over. "Sirius!" She jumped, and he spun her around, hugging her tightly. "Sirius, oh, it's so amazing – you're here, you're _actually here!_ "

"Of course, pup," he pulled back, "Let me look at you." She grinned, standing relatively still as he took her in, brushing an inky curl behind her ear. "Beautiful. So how long have you been here, then? Did you get my letter? And are you back too? Is it just me? Am I actually mad?"

"Been here two weeks. A little longer for the actual memory thing, but me and Gab were going the slow route, in comparison to Fleur and Elise, and Tonks and you, it seems. You're not mad. We've only just started getting letters though – yours came yesterday. When did you send it?"

"Last week," he frowned, "Owl wards not working properly?"

"Elise is modifying them," came a familiar, lightly-accented voice. Sirius looked to the table, where Fleur and Gabrielle were sitting with a giant, half-finished platter of sandwiches. "The owls themselves that came with letters were circling this area of London, and she did not notice. Gabby told her, after we finished…" Fleur's lip twitched. "Well. You'll be told anyway, eventually. We-"

"-Bonded," Sirius blinked, only now smelling it. Female creature pheromones littered the building. Nothing that couldn't be swept away, but he doubted they wanted them to be. "Where are your nests?"

"Different floors – you are in the master bedroom. It has been redecorated and personalised to your tastes, and your old room has been turned into a guest bedroom. Elise found a way to get things off the walls."

It took a second. "Ah," Sirius scratched his neck, thinking of the mundane girls in bikinis, and all the Gryffindor merchandise. "Personalised to my tastes, you say?" Oh, if it was Gryffindor-themed, mother would roll in her grave.

"Indeed," Fleur said politely, before looking to the single window in the room, one over the door that Sirius had watched his mother lock forever after she caught him sneaking out. From the looks of things, Elise had managed to remove the enchantments, as it was replaced and painted a greyed shade of white to compliment the…fine-looking kitchen. Which had been replaced.

 _This really isn't my house anymore._ It made Sirius grin slightly.

"She should be home by now," her voice was morose. Sirius' grin disappeared.

"Who? Elise?"

Harry hummed, "Yeah. She went to the Ministry. _I_ think she's checking on Bellatrix. Fleur thinks she's gone to see Tonks – Tonks came back, see, I mentioned that before?"

Sirius' stomach flipped at the decisively light tone of her voice. "Tonks?" What had happened that was making the three of them share glances? "Harry, what happened after I died?"

Harry pulled him over to the table. "Have a sandwich. It's a long story."

Sirius sat down, determined to keep an open mind about whatever they were going to tell him. He wasn't prepared enough though, for what they told him.


	6. Chapter 6

Elise came home to a kitchen of upset, quite literally. Sirius was crying, and Gabrielle somehow got to her in the tense shouting slash crying fit Sirius was having and told her that Harry had told him about how Remus moved on with Tonks, after he died, and even had a kid with her – a kid she was carrying again somehow, right now.

Realising that he must feel terrible, Elise moved in, wrapping her arms around him. "Shh, brother, shh…Remus doesn't remember. He doesn't remember _anything_. He's _your_ mate. Tonks never was, even after they got together properly. Tonks was his wife, and compared to you being his _mate?_ Remus made himself a pack, Sirius, and there's nothing wrong with that…unless of course he planned to set you both up together as well."

Sirius couldn't help but laugh at the last part, "Remus would- Remus wouldn't. He wouldn't do that." He panted, grinning with teary eyes. Elise held on tightly, wondering if it were at all possible to bring a private healer of some sorts to help with his emaciated state. The room quiet now, Elise looked to Harry, who was half-crying herself. She opened an arm, keeping it open even as Harry bundled herself between them. Quickly, Gabrielle joined, though Fleur hesitated.

"Come here, babe," Elise mumbled, prompting Fleur to come over, resting her head on Elise's as the smaller girl wrapped an arm around her. "My family, all of you are just so amazing, but so silly sometimes, too…"

Sirius chuckled, throat clogged, "We're one fucked up family. Half of us from the future, another half with some form of creature or shapeshifting blood, just about all of us gay…"

"Just?" Harry questioned.

"Tonks," everyone else echoed. Harry _ohhed_ before nodding.

"Hey, Sirius?" Elise began, "Do you know what happened to Marius Black?"

"Marius?" He mumbled. "The first squib Black. Uh, he'd be ancient if he were alive. In the muggle world, I'd guess?" The hug slowly disassembled, before Elise tapped Sirius' Lord's Ring.

"Also, can you summon the Grimoire, write my name in, cross of Bellatrix's, and let me explain who exactly Angele, Claudia, Zara, Katerine, Yelena, Katarina, Simone, Le Quera, Noelle, Florencia, Madeline and Emele are."

Sirius blinked at the long list of names, "Pardon?"

"Uh-oh," Harry muttered, "This is _not_ going to be good – c'mon, Gab, I _know_ you still have some summer homework to finish." She took the other blonde's hand, dragging her out, Fleur quickly adding on an excuse of her own to leave. Sirius, by his time, was very suspicious.

Elise didn't blame him.

"Summon the Grimoire – we need to strike out Bellatrix," Elise told him, sitting down at the table, opposite a chair for Sirius. The Lord sat, eyes narrowed as he twisted his Ring six times, three clockwise and three counter-clockwise, mixed and no doubt keyed specifically for the Grimoire, as it thumped down onto the table in front of them in a way it never did for Elise when she tried to call it.

Huge and bound, the Grimoire was as black as the family it represented. Thousands of years of history laid between those pages. Sirius pressed his hand to the centre, and it glowed before the binding slipped off, magically opening the book to the freshest-written page. Within it, laid a clear, short and binding message of disallowance into the Grimoire for Elise and her sisters, signed by Walburga Black. Sirius' eyes widened at the sight of it, realising who Elise had named were his sisters by the _Blacktower_ writ onto the end of a hyphen for each of their last names.

"Grimoire of House Black…write each of my sisters into the family, and allow them access to the Grimoire." Both knew it was too late for Elise's fellow bastards by the silver sheen of their names, _Elise Sinistra-Blacktower_ a blue-black in comparison. They watched as the page changed it's wording, a blood-quill appearing on the page, so Sirius could sign, which he did, the book glowing gold briefly before going back to before.

He cleared his throat. "Show me the writ of Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black's allowance into the Grimoire." It flipped back a staggering amount of pages, not even denting the large, compressed set of papers that came first. "Strike her from the Grimoire."

The Grimoire rumbled, before the page declaring Bellatrix's access into the Grimoire changed into one much like Elise's had been previously. Sirius used the blood-quill to sign it off, and there was a violent snap as the book shut, shaking and flashing red, sparking.

"What's happening?" Elise asked, worried, but Sirius shook his head.

"Bellatrix is in Azkaban, behind very powerful wards – it just takes a bit of effort from the Grimoire to get past them to extract the family magic. I mean, we created shortcuts for it, but still, hard work."

Elise paused.

"…shortcuts?" _The guard who originally led them up seemed alarmed, rushing over and running their hand over the arch of her door, causing runes to light up – but some, rather than the usual blue, came up red._ "Oh, shit."

Sirius' head jerked, "'Oh shit', what?"

"Azkaban got put on lockdown three hours ago," Elise said faintly, "because a guard- _the_ Guard, they noticed something wrong with the runes of Bellatrix's door. Said someone had been playing with the runestone."

Sirius paled, looking at the thrashing Grimoire. "Give me your hand," he ordered roughly, taking a wand out of his pocket and drawing it over his palm, grimacing. Elise held out her hand, not flinching as he did the same to her. Then, Sirius dabbed his finger in each of their bloods, drawing a connective rune on the Grimoire, where his hand had gone earlier. It was one of the few Elise could recognise without thinking – it channelled magic, and was drawn onto the handle of every wand in the world, meant to help draw and connect a wand and its wielder.

"We need to help it, don't we?"

Sirius nodded, before taking her hand and, at the same time, placed their hands down. Immediately they buckled, magic draining at a far faster rate than they had ever experienced before. Even Elise, who had helped power a time travelling device, had never felt something so much like it. The device the DoM had drawn it slowly, like a dam with pipes from the reserve to the river.

This was like a rushing river flowing over a cliff into the sea.

"Sirius, we're not going to be able to keep this up very long."

Sirius grit his teeth, "We're going to have to, if we want Bellatrix."

Elise squeezed her eyes shut, "Sirius, I _can't_. I'm mated to Fleur – if I become too weak, I'm going to start drawing on her, and then the entire Enclave – that's too much magic, even for this. I'm still building up my base reserve from time-travelling. I'm not a rainstorm – I'm a single drop of water in a drought."

Sirius cussed, "Why didn't you say before you let me do this to you?" He motioned to the Grimoire. Elise rolled her eyes in answer, focusing on the Grimoire. Connected as she was, both physically and magically, Elise could 'see' the connection. But she wasn't strong enough to step into it, and to help something like this, you had to at the very least know what you were doing.

"Brother, go through the connection – help it find the way through the wards."

"What?!" Sirius balked, before going wide-eyed. "Oh Merlin, you're a genius." Elise watched as Sirius' eyes became hazy and unfocused, his magic pulsing through the Grimoire. For a long few seconds, nothing happened. Then-

"Holy fuck," Sirius whispered, before the Grimoire stopped pulling on their magic, the two of them leaning back sharply as the red light dimmed. The Grimoire flipped open to the newest page, declaring that a Connection Renewal Ceremony had taken place between the Grimoire and Lord Sirius Black of Black, Duke of Ravensmoor.

"What happened?" Elise questioned, feeling beyond tired.

Sirius leant over the Grimoire, cautious, "I think…I think I just renewed the Connection the Black's have to the Grimoire. I…Everything's in my head. I can _feel_ the Grimoire, I know it back to front where I didn't before-" he flipped back a few thousand pages, staring at a random marriage declaration. "I knew it. I knew exactly who married who, and they had three children-" he flipped through the book, searching and finding each and every birth certificate. "Circe and Hecate…"

"Marius Black is Vernon Dursley's father."

* * *

Once upon a time, Harry never wanted to return to a Dursley household. _Ever_. Unfortunately, the stories never tell you what happens after the happy ending.

Harry had only ever been to Michael Dursley's home once in her life. The man had been dismissive and preferred to work late, staying away from everyone, including his family, so she never saw him. His wife – Dudley's grandmother, Uncle Vernon's mother – had been terrible to her, and used corporal punishment, unlike her son, who had always said it was demeaning and unfashionable. Harry had figured out during that single visit that the reason he didn't use it was because his mother still liked to punch him in the face when he pissed her off.

Subsequently, it seemed strange to her when Dudley took up boxing, only a couple of years later with Vernon's approval – but then again, Samantha Dursley had died soon after that visit.

Feeling like she was unsafe in her own skin, Harry sucked in a breath before knocking on the door to the small council house. Immediately, the door opened, almost before she even finished knocking, and Michael Dursley stared at her, narrowing his eyes. Harry waited in silence, still as a rock.

Michael Dursley was a strange enigma, in Harry's mind, appearance-wise. Used to the inflated, red-faced Vernon, Marge, and even Dudley at some points, it knowingly bewildered her to see him, as tall, thin and frail as he was. He shoulders were broad, but thin, and his checkered button-down shirt was tucked into a set of corduroy trousers, suspenders with shiny metal joints holding them up. Similar in general to Vernon's face, Michael's cheeks were large, but rather than puffed-out, they were certainly somewhat hollow, wrinkled skin stretching over his expansive forehead, silver, shoulder-length pulled back in a bun, and small, kind blue eyes watching her in quiet confusion.

"…What are you doing here, small fry? Last time I saw you, you weren't very keen on coming back here." Michael frowned lightly, and the calm nature of his voice did strange wonders to Harry's composure.

"Hi," she breathed, swallowing, gripping the sleeves of her hoodie tightly as she forced herself not to look back at Elise in the car across the street. Elise had worse memories of this place than Harry had. "Uh, recently, uh…it came to my attention that you're related to us."

"Well, no," Michael looked at her oddly, "but go on. Explain your logic."

Harry bit her lip. "Marius Black." Michael's eyes widened.

"How do you know that name?"

"You're on my godfather's family tree – Elise's family tree. She's a Blacktower. Orion's."

"Orion…" Michael looked amazed, eyes flickering across the street to her car. "Walburga's husband. Cousin. All that. Stupid Black's…good thing he had her though, she's a good girl." Michael looked back at Harry. "How old are you now? Seventeen? You look mighty small for an adult in the wixen world."

Harry let out a lot of tension at that. Dudley had just enough magic to remember, just like this man _._ "Good, you remember. And no, I'm not seventeen. I'm something like twenty-four and fourteen, at the same time." Harry motioned to him. "Mr Dursley, you may not be aware of it, but you've travelled in time. Your memories all the way up to your death have come back to you, to the thirteenth of July, nineteen ninety-four."

"Poppycock."

"It's not poppycock," Harry insisted, eyes fiery, "And I can prove it. Ask anyone who isn't a Black, or Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour, and they'll tell you that today's date is the twenty-ninth of July, _nineteen ninety-four_."

Michael gripped the door tightly, eyes locked on her. "I thought the boys in the neighbourhood were playing a trick on me – taking my newspapers and switching them up. I don't get out much. I'm an old man."

"I can see that, Mr Dursley," Harry said softly, knowing that he would pass in his sleep sometime in the next few years. "If it makes you feel better, you fall from that rather than the hand of another, or illness."

"It does make me feel better, strangely," Michael replied just as quietly. "Old age. It's both a curse and a blessing. Call your sister. Cousin. Whatever relation you share – I'll get the kettle going. I think I've got some biscuits somewhere."

"Respectfully, sir, Elise is rather disinclined to enter your home."

Michael snorted, "Understandable. I should have poisoned Samantha years earlier than I did."

Harry's eyes widened.

"You did _what?_ "

And all of a sudden, Harry was reminded that this man was a _Black_.

* * *

Elise looked up from her book as Harriet knocked on her window. Reaching over to open the door, Elise let her sister inside, setting her book in the backseat with Padfoot.

"How was it?"

Harriet's eyes were bright, and there was a smile on her face. "I've been invited back for tea this Saturday." Elise blanked briefly, before replying.

" _What?_ "

"I've been invited back for tea this Saturday," Harriet repeated, "He would have invited you too, but we both know you don't like going in there." Elise's eyes darkened, nodding shortly before sitting back in her seat, starting up the car and pulling out of park.

"Buckle up."

Harriet did as she was told, humming, "He's a rather nice man. Certainly a Black though – do you know that he poisoned Nana Sam?" Elise, still driving, made sure to keep her focus on the road, but that comment stirred something within her.

"He poisoned her? Really?"

"Yep," Harriet unlatched the glove compartment in the passengers seat, shifting through the tapes sitting inside. "Ooh, Oasis, Definitely Maybe, _yaass_." She took it out and fiddled with the music player, getting the new – and disappointing – tape to pop out so she could swap them. "He remembers, obviously, and I think we have an extra reason to keep in contact with Dudley now, even if we don't speak to Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon. He's been exposed to so much magic, his children-"

"I know," Elise cut her off as _Shakermaker_ started playing from the car speakers, rousing Padfoot. "But lets save the world first."

"Elise, I'm meeting his grandfather for tea on Saturday, and most likely the Saturday's afterwards – I'm going to keep in contact with him. I'll write to Michael using owl post over the next year, and ask him to forward letters to Dudley through mundane post." Harriet wasn't going to budge on this. Elise could tell. "It'll get him out of that house, at the very least, and I'll pay for stamps, too."

"And where's Dudley going to send letters back to?" Elise challenged. "Grandda Michael's? Is he going to address his letters ' _Miss Harriet Potter of Tubman Drive'_?"

Harriet scowled at her, looking back to Padfoot, "Uncle Sirius, tell her I can keep in contact with my cousin." Padfoot glanced out the windows before transforming into Sirius, leaning forwards to rest his head on Elise's shoulder.

"C'mon sis, leave her be. Family's important – and besides, we're on a road trip. Quidditch World Cup, here we come!" Sirius punched the air, and the roof of the car, letting out a grunt of pain before wincing, rubbing his hand. "Never doing that again in a car."

"Good," Elise said shortly, before reaching for a water-bottle in the cup-holder, glancing away from the road only briefly-

 _CRASH!_

They whirled, car spinning and twisting. Elise's head hit the window and everything went black.


End file.
